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Collisions Between Ships and Whales

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Collisions Between Ships and Whales MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 17(1):35–75 (January 2001) � 2001 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy COLLISIONS BETWEEN SHIPS AND WHALES DAVID W. L AIST Marine Mammal Commission, 4340 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] AMY R. KNOWLTON Right Whale Research, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3399, U.S.A. JAMES G. MEAD Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20560, U.S.A. ANNE S. COLLET Center for Research on Marine Mammals, Port des Minimes, 17000 La Rochelle, France MICHELA PODESTA Milano Museum of Natural History, Corso Venezia 55, 20121 Milano, Italy ABSTRACT Although collisions with motorized ships are a recognized source of whale mortality, little has been done to compile information on the frequency of their occurrence or contributing factors. We searched historical records and computerized stranding databases for evidence of ship strikes involving great whales (i.e., baleen whales and the sperm whale). Historical records suggest that ship strikes fatal to whales first occurred late in the 1800s as ships began to reach speeds of 13–15 kn, remained infrequent until about 1950, and then increased during the 1950s–1970s as the number and speed of ships in­ creased. Of 11 species known to be hit by ships, fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are struck most frequently; right whales (Eubalaena glacialisand E. australis ), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sperm whales (Physeter catodon ), and gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are hit commonly. In some areas, one-third of all fin whale and right whale strandings appear to involve ship strikes. To assess contributing factors, we compiled descriptions of 58 collisions. They indicate that all sizes and types of vessels can hit whales; 35 36 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001 most lethal or severe injuries are caused by ships 80 m or longer; whales usually are not seen beforehand or are seen too late to be avoided; and most lethal or severe injuries involve ships travelling 14 kn or faster. Ship strikes can significantly affect small populations of whales, such as northern right whales in the western North Atlantic. In areas where special caution is needed to avoid such events, measures to reduce the vessel speed below 14 kn may be beneficial. Key words: mortality, strandings, ship collisions, species conservation, right whales. As steam-powered ship technology evolved in the 1800s, reports of ships striking whales began to appear (Allen 1916; Schmitt 1976, 1979). These collisions appeared to occur rarely; however, recent information suggests that ship strikes of whales may be more common than previously suspected and, in some cases, may constitute significant conservation issues. Kraus (1990) reported that at least 20% (5 of 25) of endangered northern right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) found dead between 1970 and 1989 off the eastern United States and Canada had large propeller slashes or massive injuries indicating they were killed by ships. Of the living right whales for which good-quality photographs are available, 7% (12 of 168) had scars caused by ship strikes. An updated analysis (Knowlton and Kraus, in press) links ship strikes to 35% (15 of 43) of right whale deaths between 1970 and 1998, and to at least 47% (8 of 17) of their deaths from 1991 to 1998, a period when carcass recovery and necropsy efforts improved. Because there are only about 300 animals in the population (Knowlton et al.1994, Caswell et al.1999), ship strikes pose a serious threat to recovery and intensive management efforts have been undertaken in both the United States and Canada to reduce the number of vessel-related deaths (Marine Mammal Commission 1999). Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) also may be struck by ships more frequently than previously thought in some areas. Wiley et al.(1994) found that 30% (6 of 20) of carefully examined humpback whale strandings along the U.S. Atlantic coast between 1985 and 1992, most of which were near the Chesapeake Bay, had injuries caused by ships. In some areas recurring ship strikes involving hydrofoils and high-speed vessels (e.g., those that operate at speeds of 28 kn and higher) also suggest ship collisions may be relatively common in some areas. After several collisions between ferries and sperm whales in the Canary Islands, one of which caused the death of a passenger, Andre´ et al.(1997) tried unsuccessfully to deter sperm whales from ferry routes by broadcasting low-frequency sounds. Five collisions in the Sea of Japan between high-speed jetfoil ferries and what were thought to be whales also were reported, two of which resulted in injuries to several passengers and three of which involved vessel damage (Honma et al. 1997). Although this information suggests that collisions between ships and whales are more common than previously thought, no attempt has been made to compile information on the frequency of such collisions, the types of vessels LAIST ET AL.: SHIP COLLISIONS 37 involved, the speed of ships when whales were hit, collision locations, the behavior of whales immediately before being struck, or other potentially rel­ evant factors. The lack of such information has hampered efforts to evaluate the significance of ship strikes for whale populations and to develop appro­ priate mitigation measures. Therefore, we compiled and analyzed information on the nature and extent of collisions between motorized ships and large whales from four sources: (1) historical collision records, (2) recent whale stranding records, (3) anecdotal accounts from vessels involved in collisions, and (4) data on the number and speed of ships. METHODS We focused on collisions between motorized vessels and great whales (i.e., baleen whales and the sperm whale, Physeter catodon). Collisions with vessels under sail were excluded from the analysis because of data limitations and a lack of evidence that such collisions cause significant injuries to whales. Historical collision records—To assess collisions with whales before 1951, we reviewed newspaper clippings, early stranding records, and scientific publica­ tions. It was not possible to verify independently the accuracy of these reports, except in rare cases where photographs of struck animals accompanied the reports. To minimize error, we considered only accounts citing vessel crew members whose descriptions indicated that the struck whale was seen clearly (e.g.,itwas caught on a ship’s bow or seen thrashing off the stern). Historical whale stranding records from the early 1600s to 1915 along northeastern North America (Allen 1916), and from 1913 to 1966 for the British Isles (Harmer 1927; Fraser 1934, 1946, 1953, 1974) were also reviewed for reports of ship strikes or stranded whales with massive injuries, such as fractured skulls and severed tails. We found no other long-term data sets for large-whale strandings before the 1970s. Recent stranding records—We searched computerized stranding databases for all records of whales killed or possibly killed by ships. These included records for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts (maintained by the Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC), Italy (maintained by the Centro Studi Cetacei, Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano), and France (the Institut de la Mer et du Littoral, La Rochelle). Stranding records for southern right whales (E. australis)in South Africa (Best et al.,in press) also were examined. From each database, we generated a list of the species, date, location, and nature or source of injury for each identified or possible ship strike. Records were attributed to ship strikes when they reported either (1) massive blunt impact trauma (e.g., fractures of heavy bones including skulls, jaws, or verte­ brae) or apparent propeller wounds (i.e., deep slashes or cuts into blubber on the dorsal aspect, or (2) a dead whale on the bow of a ship. Given the force needed to break large whale bones, it was considered unlikely that fractured jaws, skulls, or vertebrae were caused by anything other than ship collisions. Similarly, it was assumed that long, deep, parallel slashes were caused by ship 38 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 17, NO. 1, 2001 propellers. Dead whale stranding records ascribed to ship strikes were summed and the total was compared to the total number of dead whale strandings for that species from all causes. Time frames for searches varied by database de­ pending on the year in which well-organized stranding response efforts began and the last year for which data entry was relatively complete. Anecdotal accounts—To examine factors contributing to ship strikes, we com­ piled accounts describing observed collisions between ships and whales from published literature, a request for collision descriptions posted on the Internet ([email protected]), and inquiries to whale biologists, government of­ ficials, and mariners likely to have documented such events. We also reviewed newspaper clippings, articles, and unpublished first-hand accounts of vessel collisions with various species of marine life gathered by William C. Cum­ mings (5948 Eton Ct., San Diego, CA 92122), who published a request for descriptions of such events in Yachting (March 1974) and Sea Frontiers(July– August 1974). The following information was recorded from each event whenever available: date; time; location; species of whale struck; whether the struck whale was seen before the collision; a description of the impact; fate of the whale or signs of injuries; type, name, and size of the vessel; vessel speed and weather con­ ditions at the time of the collision; and vessel damage. When a vessel’s name was provided, Lloyds Registry of Shipping was used to determine and/or verify vessel length. It was not possible to verify other information. To ensure account accuracy, we included only descriptions based on the crew of vessels involved in collisions, witnesses to the collisions aboard a nearby vessel, or individuals who, as part of their official duty, investigated cases of whales brought into port on bows of ships or other reported ship strikes.
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